The
No More Ransom (NMR) project, a public-private initiative designed to help people recover their ransomware encrypted files for free, has been backed by eu-LISA since its inception in 2016, as part of our Agency's ongoing partnerships in the cybersecurity realm. With eu-LISA's expanding role in the digitalisation of the EU's Justice and Home Affairs domain, the Agency is glad to be a part and support the NMR initiative.
Five years later, NMR has a brand new website and currently offer 121 tools able to decrypt 151 varieties of ransomware. Available in 37 languages, the portal helped more than 6 million people recover their information to date and prevented almost 1 billion euro from ending up in criminals' pockets.
Digitalisation has given us the freedom to easily access a world of information. Digital devices, such as personal computers, laptops and mobile phones, hold hundreds of thousands of different files, which contain important information about our personal and professional lives. Ransomware enables criminals to effectively hold all of that data hostage. Attackers use advanced encryption algorithms to lock the files and demand ransom for providing the decryption keys. Even if users pay there is no guarantee the hackers will be true to their word, thus the advice is to never pay. And this is where NMR comes into play. In addition to the predefined decryption tools, the portal's "Crypto Sheriff" can also analyse sample files in order to detect which specific ransomware infected them.
No More Ransom was launched in 2016 by the
Dutch National Police, our sister agency
Europol, and cybersecurity companies M cAfee and Kaspersky Lab.
Anyone can be a target of ransomware – So, what can we do?
- Regularly back up data stored on your electronic devices.
- Watch your clicks – do you know where a link will take you?
- Beware of attachments in emails.
- Ensure that your security software and operating system are up to date.
- If you become a victim, do not pay!
Report the crime and check No More Ransom for
decryption tools.
For more details on the new No More Ransom website, read the full press release from our colleagues at Europol
here.
Find more information about ransomware and prevention tips on
nomoreransom.org.
